urinary track infection, pine, aspen shavings...

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KristinC1983

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What can cause a urinary track infection? Sunny had one, I'm still giving him his meds and Critical Care both twice a day now, but when I asked the vet what could have caused it, she asked if I use shavings. I said kiln-dried aspen and she said the oils aren't' good for them so I should switch to recycled paper bedding, which I'd rather switch to fleece-paper bedding scares me cause the risk of impaction. Sunny eats his shavings, and I guarentee he'd eat recycled paper bedding as well-he doeesn't eat fleece. So could aspen shavings have caused a UTI-they are kiln-dried? Also, my father built Sunny's cage. I told him what materials were okay and he got them. I told him only kiln-dried pine wood, he laughed, but said he'd get it. Now I'm afraid maybe he didn't get kiln-dried pine and he just got regular pine and lied to me for whatever reason. He thinks I'm ridiculous with Sunny, over-protective of just a rodent (his words), so in reality, it wouldn't really surprise me if he did lie and got regular pine, and Sunny chews on his cage a LOT, plus his hidey house, which I made from some oof the left over wood.

What should I do? I told him it can actually harm a chinchilla-pine wood that is not kiln-dried, but he's cheap, even with my money, and maybe it's cheaper or something, so he didn't care enough. But if it can make Sunny sick, I will make my father tell me, and I believe it can make him sick. I didn't think to question him until now-I just trusted him. I'll buy him a metal cage and put in kiln-dried pine shelves if I have to. I don't want him to get sick. What do you think/know?! Could kiln-dried aspen, or not kiln-dried pine have caused a URI, and what else could it cause?
 
I have been using kiln dried pine for 8 years and have not had a single UTI. Before that I used aspen for a year and had none then either. I don't believe that either one of them have a single thing to do with UTIs. There are no "oils" in kiln dried pine. That is the point to kiln drying it.
 
Most likely he got kiln dried if he got it from a home improvement store. Most of the wood there is kiln-dried anyway. If it doesn't have a strong smell to it, most likely it was kiln dried.

The oils harm the respiratory system. I don't see how it would cause an UTI. I have used both aspen and kiln dried pine interchangebly and have never had any issues.

My guess would be something diet related...
 
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